Technically its Tuesday

It is our family tradition to open gifts on Christmas Eve.

It started when I was a child.

Christmas Day was always so hectic that it just made sense.

It was always planned that we open Christmas morning but we would beg and beg to open 'just one' on Christmas Eve.

Just one soon turned into all of them.

Looking back I wonder if that was part of my dad's plan.  To tease us into thinking we were getting away with something special...when in reality it was always planned to open all of them.

***

I have to work second shift Christmas Eve this year.

Putting a damper on our 'opening gifts Christmas Eve night' plans.

I figured we could make a special day of it, getting up to a special breakfast and then opening gifts.

But when Riley suggested opening gifts tonight after I got off work because 'technically its Tuesday' I couldn't say no.

Because who am I kidding?

Like we would get up early and open gifts in the morning.

We will celebrate like the night owls that we are and open gifts promptly at 12:01 am Christmas Eve.

***

The night went exactly like I thought it would.

First a fight.

Then tears.

A lot of tears.

Me yelling and threatening unrealistically outrageous threats.

(Such as "you can all go to bed and we can open gifts next week if you don't quit the tears")

Then they all settled down and we opened gifts.

The boys seemed surprised and excited by the shared basketball arcade game.

Rhianna was so surprised and excited by the new CD player.

The best was when Riley said "Mom. I can't believe you would actually get me Madden.  Why would you go to all that trouble to find it??  I love it!"

Reagan can't wait to spend his gift card and pick out his guinea pig.

***

I think the night was a success.

It was a small Christmas in comparison to some.

But it was a huge Christmas in comparison to so many.